Railroad danger-signal



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. T. MANN.

RAILROAD DANGER SIGNAL.

No. 376,444. Patented Jan. 17; 1888.

(No Mbdel.) 3 sheets-sheet L. T. MANN.

RAILROAD DANGER SIGNAL.

No. 376,444. Patented Jan. 17, 1 888.

Wi e/S866, 5424M (No 140881. 3 Sheets-Sheet a.

L. T. MANN.

RAILROAD DANGER SIGNAL.

' No. 376,444. I PatentedJan. 17, 1888.

........,,8 H (W g tures of the device- UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS T. MANN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD DANGER-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,444, dated January 17, 1888. Application filed February 5, 1887. Serial No. 226,637. (No model.)

To all whom it. may concern..-

Be it known that I, LoUIs T. MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Danger-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the production of apiece of mechanism which will enable the engineer or any one upon a train to leave a signal of danger that will prevent accident or give warning to asecond train following on the same track.

. This invention consists in constructing a piece of mechanism which, in connection with or without connection with the air-brake,will carry out the objects already stated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of portions of the floor and roof of a railway-coach with parts of the device embodying my invention attached. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of a portion of two cars, showing other fea- Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation of a portion of a railway-coach with the danger-si gnal device attached. Fig. 4 represents a device for forming a connection of the danger-signal device with the air-brake pipe in a railway-engine cab, so that the on gineer may operate the brake when the danger device is attached without'leaving a dangersignal. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section view of a rail, showing a railway-torpedo attached in the usual manner. Fig. 6 shows a modification of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the air-cylinder of an airbrake, attached in the usual manner to the bottom of the car B.

0 represents a pipe connected with the aircylinderA by two three way-cocks, D and D, (a single cock could be made to operate the same as these two,) and two short pipes, F and G. The cocks D and D are normally open with respect to the pipe 0 and closed with respect to short pipes F and G. At each end of the coach pipe 0 is provided with an angle valve or cook, H, which is normally open with the pipe 0, but forms at the rear of the train connection with other parts of my invention,

which will be hereinafter fully explained. At each end of the car, under the platform, pipe 0 terminates in a cock, J. This cock has the hose-connection with the corresponding cock on the adjoining car similar to that used for coupling the air-brake; also a direct connection with the air-cylinderA through pipes L. "hese cocks are normally so placed that pipes 0 through the coupling are open and pipes L closed. They have attached to each chainsN and O, the use of which will be explained in proper time. The forward end of the pipe 0 terminates through the described hose-connections at the cook P in the engine-cab. Cock P connects with the brake-pipe Q. Cock P normally'closes pipe Q, while at the same time pipe 0 is normally open atthe small vent R. Cock P is provided with a lever, S, for opening connection with brake-pipe and pipe 0, which is necessary when the engineer operates the signal device.

Referring to Fig. 1, it willbe observed that cocks D and D are connected through levers T with horizontal rods V, which terminate in elbows X, pivoted on hangers Z. At right angles with rods V are vertical rods a, connected at the other extremity of the elbow and passing up through the floor near the end of the coach and. through a pipe-casing to the roof of the car. These rods are provided with angular extensions 0, loosely fitted in rings 6, attached to the rods. Along the roof of the 'car and fastened to it by small metal hangers is the rodg. Rod gis provided with flattened ends projecting at right angles, which are further provided with notches to receive the angular extensions 0. Rod ghas also at intervals attached to it handles h, for turning it.

Referring to Fig. 3, angle'valve H connects, through a pipe, 43, pipe 0 with an air-cylinder, j, which is fastened to the side of the steps or any other convenient portion of the car and directly over the rail. This cylinder is open at its lower extremity, and is provided with a spiral spring, k, which surrounds a piston, Z, spring it having bearings against the pistonhead and a flange at the bottom of cylinder j. Piston Z also constitutes the torpedo-carrier, for which purpose it is forked at its lower end.

These forks are flattened and bent inwardly to I will now describe the operation of the invention as a whole.

The cars are coupled and the signal-connections made at the same time. Chains N are connected wit-h the levers of cocks J', and all the angle-valves are set open with pi pc 0, ex-

cept the rear one on the train, which will be turned to connect with cylindcrj. Inside the car rods a, at forward end of car, are left disconnected with rod 9, the angular extensions being turned aside for that purposewhile rods a, at rear end of car, are connected with rod 7, as shown. When the engineer sees danger, he throws the levers in position to connect pipe 0 with the brake-pipe, at the same time setting the air-brake. The signal device needs but an instant to operate, and the lever s is returned to its normal position, allowing the air in the signal-pipcs to return and escape at vent It. It will be readily seen that the air has a clean sweep through pipe 0 and its coni nections to the rear of the train,whereiti'orccs down piston I; and it will also be seen that. when piston Z is forced down by the air the torpedo comes in contact-with the rail and is disengaged, leaving it clamped to the rail, as shown in Fig. 5, and as the air escapes through ventItpiston Z returns to its normal position. When the danger is first observed from the coaches, the engineer being ignorant thereof, the conductor, brakcman, or other person reaches one of thehandles 7a, pulls down for an instant, and lets go. Handle It operates rod 9, which in turn bears down rod a, which turns elbow X, causing rod V to move forward, opening connection between pipe G and aircylinder A. toward the rear through the operation of lever T, cock D, and pipe F. The spring on rod V returns lever T to its normal position, closing connection with cylinder A and allowing the air to escape forward and through vent It. Vent B may have a small whistle connected to it, and if it has not the engineer hears air escaping from the signalpipes and needs no further signal to stop. Cocks J are so made that they automatically resume their normal position. Suppose, now, that there should be a break in the train at any point-forward, center, or rear. The chains 0 N being made of such a length that they will not receive a tension until the coupling between the cars to which they are attached is broken,and enough shorter than the couplinghose so that there will be time for the air to act through the pipe-connections to set the torpedo after the coupling has broken and before the pipe-connections are severed,

it is plain that the torpedo will be placed upon the rail immediately upon the breaking of the train, and that possible danger to detached cars from following trains will be obviated, inasmuch as the torpedo on the rail will give notice to the engineer of a following train. At the same time the usual signal will be a given to the engineer by the escaping air, and

he will be notified by the sudden cessation of the noise produced by the escaping air, owing to the parting of the signal-pipes, that the cars of his train have separated.

In Fig. 6 I have shown amodilication of my invention adapted particularly to freight-cars, in which the plunger or piston of the torpedosetting cylinderj is connected with a vertical red, an, adapted to be moved up and down to set the torpedo upon the rail by means of a rope, or, connected with a lever, o, placed in the lookout of the car or at other suitable point.

I wish it understood that I do not confine myself in this invention to any of the particular mechanical details of construction shown, but desire to cover, broadly, the several combinationsspeciliedinthe accompanying claims. For instance, various other forms of mechanical connections to the torpedo setting device might be shown instead of that illustrated in Fig. 0. So, too, various forms of devices for operating the valves controlling the signal pipes might readily be devised as substitutes for those shown in Fig. 1, and I do not limit myself to the particular forms of these devices shown.

I further wish it understood that I claim each subcombination of my invention inde pcndently of and apart from the other combinations shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-train, the combination of an air rescrvoir, a signal adapted to be set upon the track for giving warning to afollowing train, and means wherehy'the air-pressure in the air-reservoir may be caused to operate to set the signals.

2. In a signaling device for railway-trains, the combination of an air-reservoir, a system of pipes extending from end to end of the train, devices for setting torpedoes upon the rails, and suitable connections of said systems of pipes to the cab or either coach of a train whereby the air-pressure may be thrown into the pipes to set the torpedoes.

3. In a railway-train, the combination of an air-reservoir, a torpedo adapted to be set upon the track for giving warning to a following' train, and means whereby the air-pressure may be caused to set the torpedo on the track.

4-. A torpedo-carrier, Z, provided with a bifurcated end for holding the torpedo and adapted to embrace the rail, in combination with mechanism operated by compressed air for projecting said carrier toward the rail for the purpose of setting the torpedo.

5. A torpcdocarrier, Z, provided with a bifurcated end for holding the torpedo and adapted to embrace the rail, in combination with mechanism operated by compressed air for projecting said carrier toward the rail for the purpose of setting the torpedo, and means for withdrawing said torpedo-carrier from the rail after the torpedo has been set.

6. A torpedo carrier, Z, set in a cylinder, j, and provided with a retracting-spring,in combination with mechanism, operated by compressed air for moving said carrier against its spring.

7. The combination of a torpedo-carrier, Z, provided with a piston-head, with cylinder 9', and means for causing air-pressure to force said torpedo-carrier toward the rail of the track.

8. A torpedo-carrier, Z, provided with a bifurcated end for holding the torpedo and adapted to embrace the rail, in combination with mechanism operated by compressed air for projecting said carrier toward the rail for the purpose of setting the torpedo, and means for withdrawing said torpedo-carrier from the rail after the torpedo has been set, and devices for automatically operating said torpedo-carrier in case of separation of cars.

9. A system of pipes extending from front to rear of train, in combination with apiston and mechanism for setting a torpedo placed at some point on the train, and means whereby air-pressure may be caused to operate upon said means to set the torpedo.

( LOUIS T. MANN.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GooDWIN, E. L. HUBER. 

